Pilot Aimed at Creating National Park System in China Beset by Bickering

(Beijing) – A State Council pilot plan to revamp the management of thousands of nature parks and protected land in China – land covering over one-fifth of the country – is about to be kick off, but questions over management standards amid infighting between government departments remain.

The plan proposes setting up nine national parks in as many major cities and provinces in 2015, and aims to establish a set of national standards on park management that could then be rolled out to more than 8,000 sites across the country over the next two years.